Gone Fishing: The Times' Brad O'connor Retires

Brad O'Connor, The Times' outdoors writer for nearly 23 years, retired yesterday.

He's gone fishin'.

O'Connor, who joined the newspaper as a copy editor in 1967, took over the fishing and hunting beat in 1969. He was born to the job. His father, Jack, was a longtime shooting editor for Outdoor Life.

O'Connor was taught big-game hunting in Africa by his father, in whose honor a special room was established at the Natural History Museum at the University of Idaho. After he took two safaris with his father, O'Connor later took a "photo safari" with his wife, Anne.

Later in his career, O'Connor focused more on fishing. He knew the fishing world was changing, and that a new era - where the numbers of fish were declining and where some would even be labeled endangered - was coming.

O'Connor came to The Times after working at the Union Bulletin in Walla Walla as a wire editor, from 1959 to 1966. Previously, he worked for the Los Angeles Mirror-News.

The Times has not named O'Connor's replacement.